Oct 31 2005
Political Panda
Read a profile on Peter Viereck in the Oct 24 2005 New Yorker “The First Conservative”
He was a poet and writer of some fame (Pulitzer), history scholar on modern Russia.
Father was a German immigrant. Supported German causes during both World Wars and was convicted for being an enemy agent. He learned the death of his younger son fighting the Nazis while in prison.
Viereck was in Pysch-Op unit during WWII and dealt with ideological propaganda all the time.
Stood up as a conservative when the term was not in vogue, in the 50s. But spoke out against Joe McCarthy.
Met Bill Buckley Jr. when he was a rising star. After Buckley gave a speech, he intercepted him on his way out, talked non-stop even after stumbled. The writer of the article, Reiss, observed while Buckley was fiery on the outside but was compromising enough in action to build support. Viereck was the opposite.
While Buckley was almost contemptuous of Viereck, he said of today’s conservatism: “conservatism is, to a considerable extent, the acknowledgment of realities. And this is surreal.”
—George Will certainly agreed with him I suppose. Remember I read a commentary by him at the back of Newsweek or Time several years ago. The first sentence was a quote from the French cardinal (Richelieu?) under Louis XIV: “Gentleman, no zealotry please.”
Viereck is now 89 years old living alone in a nursing home.
—Sadly that is about most appropriate analogy for much of the moderates in today’s America.
—Is this a sustainable development (ever increasing partisanship, division and hatred)?